Leslie Mason Jr.

Les Mason Jr. was born in Montevideo Minnesota September 10,1926 to Les Mason Sr. & Evelyn Brown Mason. Les Jr. died at age 97 in Brainerd Minnesota on December 31,2023. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday February 2, 2024, at 12:00pm at Park United Methodist Church in Brainerd, MN. A Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. A light lunch will be served following the service.

The Mason family moved early in his life to Anoka MN where Les grew up and graduated from Anoka Senior High on June 6,1944. He was a basketball player, swimmer, and was an especially talented ping pong player.  

Les was drafted into the Army after high school and served in WW 2. He was on his way to be part of the invasion force to Japan when the Atomic bomb was dropped and Japan surrendered. He credits the atomic bomb for saving his and many other lives. He was among the first troops to land on the beaches in Japan where General Douglas McArthur selected groups of young inexperienced troops to serve as prison guards at Sugamo Prison in Tokyo. Sugamo prison held the highest-ranking Japanese officials and officers for war crime trials. Among those he guarded were General Hideki Tojo, Tokyo Rose and many others. 

After the war he attended St Olaf College and eventually moved to Rochester MN where he met and married Ardis Ruddick on January 15,1955. He began a painting and drywall career after college and worked for a number of Rochester companies until retirement in 1989.  

Les and Ardis enjoyed the RV life and became involved in the Holiday Rambler travel trailer club. They spent many winters at the Paradise RV Park in Phoenix Arizona. After retirement they moved to Baxter MN where they made many new friends. Les enjoyed bike riding and the highlight of his week was having coffee with his friends at the old McDonald’s at Walmart, College Square and the Senior Center.  

Les and Ardis moved to Northern Lakes Senior Living in Baxter in 2015 when Ardis was suffering from Alzheimer's. After her death in 2016 Les remained at Northern Lakes and had a great many friendships.  

Les Mason is survived by Rob & Jane Mason of East Gull Lake MN- they have two sons: Brett Mason of East Gull Lake and Tony and wife Lisel Mason of Chaska, MN with two sons Roman and Brenner, Mike and Martha Mason of Mound MN, they have one son John, and two daughters Rebecca and Matt Sichak of Lino Lakes and Elizabeth Mason of Mound, Jim Mason and friend Vicki Nelson of Choice MN, Jim has 6 children, Jesse and Jada Mason of Victoria MN, two children Lenon and Palmer, Megan and Adam Girtman of Rochester MN and 3 children, Emily Mason of Minneapolis MN, Jana Mason of Nashville TN, Jacob Mason Rochester MN, and Bailey Mason Rochester MN 

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Les are preferred to Park United Methodist Church in Brainerd.